PSYCHO THRILLERS

THE newly elected first female state’s attorney of Howard County has a hard act to follow.

Luisa Brant’s sainted father famously served in the job, and now she has to make her mark.

The first case she takes on is trying a mentally disturbed drifter who has apparently broken into a woman’s home and beaten her to death.

But Lu’s investigation causes uncomfortable childhood memories to surface concerning her beloved elder brother, AJ, who was feted, aged 18, for saving the life of his best friend — but at the cost of another youth’s life.

The more she remembers, the more Luisa comes to realise that the concept of truth is problematic: ‘The truth is not a finite commodity that can be contained within identifiable borders.

‘The truth is messy, riotous, overrunning everything.

‘You can never know the whole truth of anything. And if you could, you would wish you didn’t.’

It’s hard to categorise Laura Lippman. She is not just a crime writer or a psychological thriller writer (although she excels at both of those genres), — she is much more than that.

When you reach for one of her books, you know you will be lost to your world for a bit, and totally immersed in hers.

WATCHING EDIE

by Camilla Way

(HarperCollins £10)

WATCHING EDIE by Camilla Way

When needy, lonely, frumpy Heather is unexpectedly befriended by the new girl at school, she cannot believe her luck.

Edie is not only the friend she has always dreamt of having, she is also impossibly beautiful and cool. Quickly, Heather becomes obsessed with Edie.

Both girls have dysfunctional families but Heather makes it her mission to look after Edie, especially once she takes up with a bad boy, Connor.

Until one night, when everything goes horribly wrong, destroying both their lives.

Sixteen years later, Edie is pregnant, alone and eking out a miserable existence in London when Heather turns up again with no intention of leaving, and Edie learns the hard way that betrayal has consequences.

This is a slow-burning but well-executed tale of a toxic female friendship.

Both Edie and Heather are utterly believable, and Camilla Way cleverly manipulates the reader into taking sides, first one way, then the other.

The suspense is nicely judged, too, and, for once, I didn’t feel let down by a scratchy ending.

THE OTHER WIDOW

by Susan Crawford

(Faber £7.99)

THE OTHER WIDOW by Susan Crawford

This is a disappointing follow- up to Crawford’s debut, The Pocket Wife, last year. While that fairly raced along, this is clumsily constructed, with poorly realised characters who are difficult to care about — and actually a bit dull.

That said, it starts well.

It’s an icy day in Boston and Joe is driving with his mistress, Dorrie. He is telling her that they have to stop seeing each other when his car goes into a fatal skid.

After that, the narrative revolves around three women: Joe’s widow Karen, Dorrie and Maggie Brennan, an insurance investigator and ex-cop.

Maggie is suspicious of the circumstances of the crash and gradually unravels a sordid tale of marital infidelity, corrupt business dealings and thwarted love.